Speak No Evil_ A Novel - Allison Brennan [122]
The waitstaff had done a good job while Kyle was on the phone with Brandon. More than half the restaurant had been cleared. She watched as two waitresses and the cook came out of the kitchen. She approached Sherry.
“Is the kitchen empty?”
“Yes,” she said.
The other waitress said, “No, I think Brandon is still in the office on the phone or something. I’ll go get him.”
“No, I will,” Carina said. “Just leave.”
She started toward the kitchen, flipping her radio on and discreetly talking into the mic. “Suspect may be alone in the kitchen.” She spotted a woman still sitting at a table making no move to get up. There were two sodas on the table.
“Ma’am, do you have a guest with you?” Carina asked.
“My son is in the bathroom.”
“I need to ask you to leave. There’s a possible gas leak.”
“I’ll wait for my son.”
“How long has he been gone?”
“Just a few minutes.”
Carina had been in the restaurant for six minutes. She hadn’t seen the boy pass her to get to the restrooms, which were off the hall that connected the kitchen—and the rear office—with the main restaurant.
“I’ll get him for you.”
“No, I’ll get him. He’s my son. I don’t know you.”
Carina discreetly flashed her badge. “You can’t go back there.”
“What happened? What’s wrong?”
The panic in her voice caught the attention of the remaining patrons.
“Nothing is wrong. Gas leak. We don’t want anyone getting hurt. I promise, I will get your son.”
The mother was clearly torn. She bit her lip. Carina motioned a waitress over. “What’s your son’s name?”
“Josh. He’s only eight.”
“I will bring him to you. Trust me.”
Without waiting for an answer, Carina nodded for the waitress to escort the mother out.
Carina spoke into her mic. “All units. Potential hostage situation, minor child. Am checking status.”
She glanced back to the front, where she’d left Kyle. He was nowhere to be seen.
Had she made a mistake to trust him?
She stood outside the swinging kitchen doors, back against the wall. She heard a voice in the kitchen, but couldn’t make out the words.
Carina looked into the kitchen through the windows in the doors. Where was Brandon? Where was Kyle?
First, get the boy out. Then secure the suspect. She ran down the short hall to the men’s restroom and entered. “Josh?” she called quietly. “Josh?”
No answer. She looked in the two stalls. The bathroom was empty.
Heart pounding, she checked the women’s room next. Empty. She swallowed her panic.
Her hand on her gun, she left the bathroom and walked right into Brandon. A boy stood in front of him, shaking.
“Josh,” she said.
She was only four feet away from the boy, but she didn’t dare rush him. Carina listened to what Brandon heard. Silence. Distant voices. Ocean waves. Then in the distance, sirens.
He turned and saw her. Did he recognize her? She couldn’t tell.
“Excuse me,” she said, plastering a smile on her face, “thank you for finding my son. Josh, I told you to come right back to the table. The waitress said there’s a gas leak, we need to get out.”
She reached for Josh and Brandon pulled the boy closer to his side.
“I know who you are.” Brandon narrowed his eyes at her.
“Don’t make it worse. Turn yourself in.”
He laughed. “It can’t get worse for me.” He showed her the gun he had on Josh. “Give me your gun.”
“Let the boy go. Let him go. You don’t want to hurt a child.”
“Put your gun on the floor and kick it to me. That’s what they say in the movies, right?” As if demonstrating his knowledge of the theater, he pointed the gun directly at Josh’s head.
Against every instinct, she removed her gun from her fanny pack, placed it on the floor, and kicked it to Brandon.
“Go in the kitchen,” he commanded.
She did, glancing at Josh. “It’s going to be okay, Josh. Focus on me, okay?”
Josh was small for his eight years, with large, trusting brown eyes. Just like Justin’s.
No way in hell was Carina going to get Josh killed.
“Josh, you with me?” she asked quietly.
“Shut up,” Brandon said. Josh squirmed, but Brandon pulled the boy close.
Brandon looked her dead